Alternate Universe
by Kora
Summary: *update 1/28* skateboarding around the neighborhood on a lazy summer day. pretty ordinary, right? not always...
1. Wipeout

Alternate Universe  
  
1. Disclaimer—the characters of…wait a second…aren't the characters from remember the  
  
titans real-life characters? Then they don't belong to Disney. Alright then, more than half of the  
  
characters in this story belong to themselves. I made everyone else up, but they own themselves  
  
to so you're free to use them so long as you ask them first.  
  
Intro:  
  
This is an au (alternate universe) story. Not au like forever and beyond au, but alternate universe  
  
that breaks the bonds of pure, unchangeable history. If these sort of stories bother, annoy, or are  
  
in any way your pet peeves, then just spare yourself the annoyance right now. For everyone else  
  
that doesn't care, please continue. Thanks!!  
  
Peace,  
  
Kora  
  
Chapter One  
  
1. Wipeout  
  
"Mom! Dad! I'm going out boarding!" Kate called over her shoulder. She grabbed her knee and  
  
elbow pads, helmet, and skateboard, and jumped down the porch steps. She dropped her  
  
skateboard onto the sidewalk and hopped on top of it.  
  
Kate soared down the mid-suburban streets of Alexandria. Humming a tune from The Sound of  
  
Music, the musical she'd been in last spring, Kate turned the corner into the older section of  
  
Alexandria, where her parents grew up. The sixteen-year-old couldn't help but shiver, even in the  
  
oppressive August heat, when she passed a worn-down white-washed house with maroon  
  
shutters. She'd found out from her mother that that was where her father grew up. Kate's father,  
  
Alan Yoast, never talked about his childhood (except to tell stories about his adventures with J  
  
and Gerry). From what Kate picked up from her mother, grandfather, and others, she didn't blame  
  
him.  
  
The dark feeling lifted as the ghost house disappeared behind her back; Kate smoothed around  
  
another corner. She smiled fondly at the house quickly approaching her line of vision. Coach's  
  
house. Kate slowed as she neared, searching for a sign of Coach. Spotting her grandfather, Kate  
  
giggled. He sat on the porch in his favorite rocking chair with a book on his lap, fast asleep.  
  
The redhead stuck her foot down and kicked at the ground, which propelled her board forward,  
  
causing it to pick up speed. Kate zipped past Coach's house and into a section of the  
  
neighborhood thick with emotion. This was the street that Gerry used to live on. Not his mother's  
  
house, that was a few blocks to the right, but the house that Gerry'd bought for himself after  
  
college.  
  
Even though Kate kept up her speed, her mind left skateboarding. This was her favorite and least  
  
favorite part of Alexandria. Favorite because she wished she'd known Gerry, and least favorite for  
  
the same reason. All of the things she'd learned about Gerry all her life from everyone (including  
  
that she'd have been named after him if she'd been a boy) made him the single person she most  
  
wanted to meet more than anyone else in all history.  
  
Suddenly, Kate's skateboard flipped at a strange angle. She stumbled, fell, and the world went  
  
black.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, lil' girl, you okay?" Kat woke to a familiar voice, and a strong but gentle hand shaking her  
  
shoulder. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The world was blurry, but she vaguely made out a shape in  
  
front of her. Then the pain all over hit. She felt like she'd ran into a brick wall, that the wall  
  
collapsed and the bricks fell on top of her, and then she'd been dragged on a rope through a field  
  
of rocks.   
  
"Oww…" she moaned. The figure in front of her winced.  
  
"Looks like you took a nasty fall. Here, lemme help ya up. We can go inside my friend's house and  
  
find a spot for ya to lie down while we figure out what to do next." Kate managed a nod, and  
  
tried to order her body to stand up, but it wouldn't listen. The person, a man she knew by his  
  
voice, sensed her plight and helped her up. "Alright, here we go, it's not far."  
  
Now upright, Kate was able to get a good look at the man's face. It was Julius! "Unc…Uncle  
  
Ju…" she tried to say, but another moan came out instead.   
  
Julius shook his head, "this isn't going to work," and lifted her easily into his arms. His powerful  
  
strides got them into the house and Kate onto the couch in a matter of seconds. "You get  
  
comfortable here, I'll be back in a second," Julius said, tucking a blanket overtop of her. He  
  
disappeared into the next room. Soon, Kate heard voices, one Julius' and other unfamiliar. Kate  
  
tried to discern what they were saying, but a mist flooded her brain.  
  
Sleep tugged at her eyelids. Right before the blackness reclaimed dominance, Kate saw someone  
  
enter the room. She fell asleep with a heart leaping and pounding in her chest; there was no  
  
mistaking that the "someone" was Gerry Bertier. 


	2. Whoa

Chapter 2  
  
2. Whoa....  
  
Kate shifted in and out of sleep many times in the next hour. When she finally woke for good, she  
  
rubbed her forehead and chuckled to herself. "You must have taken a serious blow to the head,  
  
girl. You're starting to see things."  
  
"I am?" asked an amused voice from the doorway. Kate looked over and gulped. There was Gerry  
  
again. He wheeled over to hr and held out a hand with two aspirin resting in the center of the  
  
palm. "Painkiller?"   
  
Kate reached out, her hand shaky. "Thanks…" she said uncertainly.   
  
Gerry's brow furrowed with concern. "Are you alright?"   
  
Kate pushed down the lump gathering in her throat and glanced around. "Julius?"  
  
Gerry stared at her in confusion. "He had to go…but how did you know his name?"   
  
Kate didn't answer. She pulled the blanket closer, attempting desperately to process what was  
  
going on.  
  
Gerry scratched the side of his head. Something about this girl wouldn't stop bothering him,  
  
something infuriatingly familiar. He didn't want to ask too many questions right away, though.  
  
She still seemed stunned and unstable from her accident. "Well, it doesn't matter, little girl…"  
  
"I'm not little," Kate replied automatically, momentarily forgetting all that had happened. Her eyes  
  
sparked a bit. Gerry sucked in his breath. She reminded him so much of—  
  
A knock at the door silenced both Gerry and Kate's thoughts. "Come in!" Gerry called. The door  
  
opened and another figure that played with Kate's emotions even more walked through. "Hey  
  
Gerry. I know you're busy, but I wanted to stop by and make sure that the plans are going well."  
  
Kate couldn't stop staring at him. He was decades younger, but there was no mistaking the kindly  
  
face, those loving eyes…"Grandpa Coach!" she exclaimed, finally able to stand from the couch,  
  
run to her grandfather, and wrap him in a hug. Before long, her tears were seeping into his shirt. It  
  
was too much, too strange, too scary…  
  
Coach blinked and looked up at a now even more shocked Gerry. In a low whisper, he informed  
  
Coach of Julius' finding the girl unconscious outside of the house on his way to visit Gerry. All the  
  
while, Coach absentmindedly put his arms around Kate and rubbed her back soothingly. Instincts  
  
told him that he knew the girl, though he couldn't avoid being disturbed at the title "Grandpa."  
  
When Kate's sniffles decreased, Coach pushed her back slightly. "Alright, it's okay. Now, let's get  
  
a good look at you…" he trailed off as he examined her face. It wasn't possible…it couldn't be  
  
possible…  
  
He turned to Gerry, who caught the look on Coach's visage, then suddenly realized what he was  
  
thinking. "It can't be…" he murmured. "You're not serious."  
  
"I am," Coach answered. "The dark blue eyes are distinctive, and tell me where youv'e seen hair  
  
naturally this deep red before."  
  
Gerry shook his head. "But how? They—"  
  
Coach held up a hand. "Hold it there, Gerry. We should talk to her first to make sure."   
  
"Make sure about what?" Kate asked, comforted by Coach's presence and no longer able to keep  
  
quiet.   
  
Coach smiled reassuringly at Kate. "Make sure you are who we think you are." Kate's stomach  
  
dropped in panic. How could Coach not know who she was? Then it clicked. Of course, she was  
  
back in time before she was born, so Coach wouldn't know who she was.   
  
"I'm Kate." Kate gazed at Gerry and Coach's imploring faces and sighed. "Fine. Kathryn. But call  
  
me that and I'll be forced to get violent."   
  
Coach tried not to chuckle. So much like her mother…  
  
"It's Kate Yoast."  
  
Coach had a strange light to his eyes now. One of a man who already knew the answer to the  
  
question he as about to ask, but to hear it confirmed by the lips of another held a certain power  
  
that his own conclusions could and did not possess. "Who are your parents?"  
  
Kate hesitated. Wouldn't some great disaster result from her telling Coach this information? She'd  
  
seen Back to the Future enough to know that time wasn't something you could go playing around  
  
with. But it seemed like Coach already knew, he just wanted to hear it from her. Kate bit her lip,  
  
then took a deep breath. "Alan and J Yoast."   
  
The air crackled, relieved of the heavy weight of her secret. Coach pulled her in for another hug,  
  
while Gerry gaped at her in disbelief. "What date is it?" Kate mumbled through Coach's shirt.   
  
"August 7, 1981," Coach replied. 1981. The date echoed in Kate's brain. She knew what that year  
  
meant. The room was silent as everyone sorted through their own thoughts, only interrupted  
  
finally b the ringing phone. 


	3. Almost

Chapter 3  
  
Almost  
  
Gerry hurried to get the phone. Once he was in the other room, Coach turned to Kate. "Now  
  
we're sure who you are, but there's still the question of how ya got here."  
  
Kate broke from Coach's hold, but stayed close to him. "I don't know. I was just out boarding—"  
  
"Boarding?"  
  
"Skateboarding." Seeing her grandfather's blank look, Kate grumbled and searched or a way to  
  
describe the sport. "C'mon, I know they had skateboards in the early 80's! It's like a board with  
  
wheels and you ride on it."  
  
Coach's eyes lit in recognition. "Yes…I know them…dangerous things."  
  
Kate rolled her eyes. "Accidents happen. One did. I fell off right outside of this house, only it was  
  
30 years in the future." Coach whistled, but let Kate continue. "The next thing I remember, Uncle  
  
Ju's waking me up and it's 1981."  
  
"Uncle?" Coach repeated with a curious tone to his voice.  
  
Kate giggled. "He's not actually my uncle, but that's what I call all the guys from the team.  
  
Sunshine's—" Kate didn't get to finish, for Gerry re-entered the room at that moment, his  
  
shoulders sagging.  
  
Coach noticed the defeat in Gerry's limbs. "What is it?"  
  
Gerry sighed. "That was J. She has the flu. She can't come."   
  
The color drained form Kate's face. She found herself needing to sit.   
  
Coach rubbed his face with his hands. "Well, we can't call it quits. There'll be other times."  
  
Gerry shook his head slowly. "I know. I'm just beginning to loose hope."  
  
An ironic smile settled on Coach's lips. "I was too. Until hope in the flesh called me Grandpa."  
  
Upon Coach's reference to Kate, Gerry glanced at the girl. She sat on the couch, trembling.   
  
"Hey now, what's wrong?" he asked, moving beside her and placing an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"That was my mom…on the phone…" Kate choked out. "But…she's not my mom yet."  
  
Gerry gave Kate's shoulders a squeeze and was about to reply when a knock came from the door.  
  
Coach glimpsed through the window. "And that's your father at the door."   
  
Kate jumped up in panic. "He can't see me! The time-space continuum!" She began running  
  
around, searching for a place to hide.  
  
"The wha?" Gerry said, trying to calm her.   
  
"Oooh…the movie'll come out in four years, that'll explain! Stall Dad!" she dictated to Gerry.  
  
"Hide me!" she then yelped, addressing her grandfather. Gerry and Coach nodded. The first  
  
wheeled out to meet Alan, while the other led Kate to a hallway closet.  
  
"In here," he whispered. "We'll try and get your dad out of here soon as we can." With a nod of  
  
her head, Kate pulled the closet door shut. She found a comfortable corner and settled in for the  
  
wait. As the closet was not far from the living room, she could easily make out the conversation  
  
unfolding.   
  
It started off as nothing ordinary. The three caught up on each other's lives, discussed football, the  
  
usual. Kate found herself drifting off to sleep. About half an hour later, she was startled awake by  
  
an angry voice. "I should just throw those old pictures away!"  
  
Kate tried not to gasp. The voice belonged to her father. She listened intently. Coach was talking  
  
now.  
  
"Why would you do something like that, Alan? Are you sure you're just not jumping to  
  
conclusions?"  
  
"Jumping to conclusions?" Alan was up and pacing now, his voice a near-shout. "It's been how  
  
many years Coach, how many years? Jumping to conclusions is something you do quickly. This  
  
isn't quickly." He ran a hand through his hair. "She's throwing away 18 years of our lives."  
  
Gerry wheeled next to Alan and eyed him. "She's throwing away?"  
  
A pained expression was on Alan's face. He flopped down wearily onto the sofa. "No. We both  
  
are." He rubbed his red face with his hands, and his voice wavered a little. "But I don't know how  
  
to fix it. I don't even know if I can fix it. Sometimes I'm so mad I just want to start screaming and  
  
never stop, and other times…other times…I don't even know what I feel."  
  
Back in the closet, Kate buried her face in a jacket. She couldn't let them hear her cry. The results  
  
would be disastrous. Yet, she couldn't hold back the sobs. Sure, she knew about the fight (her  
  
parents did talk of it, though not often). She'd even heard her parents fight before. But nothing  
  
could prepare her for the degree of anger, then defeat and pain in her father's voice.   
  
Kate didn't know how much longer she was in that closet. Finally, the door opened and light  
  
shone through. "All clear…" Coach took one look at Kate's tearstained face and knelt down at her  
  
side. "What's the matter, sweetie?"  
  
"Dad…he's so…I never…" Kate hiccupped. Coach's face softened and he wiped the tears off  
  
Kate's cheeks. "I know. It bothers the rest of us, too. We just can't give up hope. Your parents  
  
were too close once to not speak to each other for the rest of their lives." He hugged Kate.  
  
"Besides, you're all the proof we need. It may seem impossible right now, but they're going to get  
  
back together. How else could you exist, and be here with us, if they're not?"  
  
Kate bit her lip. Coach's words made sense. If only he knew the other reason why she was upset.  
  
But she couldn't tell him, couldn't tell anyone. Coach sensed that something was still wrong, but  
  
he figured that she'd been through enough that day. She needed something familiar. "Hey…how  
  
about you come home with me tonight, huh? You can sleep in your dad's old room."  
  
Kate nodded and gave her grandfather a watery smile. Little did he know (yet) that that room was  
  
where she always slept when she was over Coach's.  
  
Coach grinned at her warmly. "Alright. Good, let's go home." 


	4. Getting to Know Gerry

Chapter 4  
  
1. Getting to Know Gerry  
  
The night at Coach's was therapeutic for Kate. Being at a house that would barely change over  
  
the next thirty years brought Kate a calming sense of peace and stability that steadied her nerves.  
  
She stayed awake until 2 a.m. talking with her grandfather. Kate learned from Coach that the  
  
"plans" he'd made reference to when first at Gerry's that afternoon were part of a grander scheme  
  
to get her parents back together.  
  
Gerry invited Alan and J to come over, but didn't tell either that the other was coming as well.  
  
This was all in hopes that the two, who had seemed to put almost all of their hostile feelings  
  
behind them, would begin to renew their friendship. As Kate and everyone else found out, J had  
  
the flu and was forced to cancel.   
  
Gerry and the rest of the conspirators were going to have to fin d another time to bring J and Alan  
  
together. Kate had an inkling of an idea, but she did not want to interfere in a time when she was  
  
not supposed to exist, so she pushed it back.  
  
The next morning, Coach had to go out of town. He offered to let Kate stay at the house by  
  
herself (Sheryl was visiting friends for a few days), but Kate had a different idea. "Could I stay at  
  
Gerry's maybe? If he's not busy, and if he wouldn't mind."  
  
Coach's face filled with surprise, mainly because Kate hadn't seemed too comfortable around  
  
Gerry the day before, and he replied slowly.  
  
"Why…of course you can! I'll have to call and check with Gerry first, but I don't think he'd mind  
  
at all." Gerry didn't mind. Five minutes later, Kate was strapping on her helmet and preparing to  
  
board to Gerry's house. Coach stopped her. "What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.  
  
Kate laughed at Coach. "Isn't it obvious? Going to Gerry's. You have to leave now or you're  
  
gonna be late." She tried to head out the door, but Coach grabbed her arm.  
  
"Are you sure it's safe?"  
  
Kate blew out air, exasperated. "I'll be FINE, Grandpa Coach." She winked at him, a roguish grin  
  
playing about her features. "Worst case, I wipe out again and end up another thirty years in the  
  
past right before Mom and Dad are born. If so, I'll look you up." She patted his arm and prepared  
  
to jump onto her skateboard. "Either way, I'll see you soon." With that, she was off and whizzing  
  
down the driveway.  
  
Coach stared after her for a moment before climbing into his car. "Now I know how Gregory felt  
  
raising J," he muttered. "Poor Alan, he must have a head full of white hair between the two of  
  
them."   
  
***  
  
Kate slowed right in front of Gerry's house and stared in awe at the car that pulled out of the  
  
driveway next door. "Whoa…cool…" she whispered. Gerry waited directly inside for her; he  
  
waved at Kate from the window. Kate stepped down hard on her board, and it flipped and leapt  
  
into her hands. She jogged into the house. "Hey Gerry," she panted, then jerked a thumb behind  
  
her. "Who owns the Delorean?"  
  
Gerry chuckled. "Oh, that's Harry. Nice guy; he just got that car. It's his pride and joy."   
  
Kate nodded. "Very cool." She cleared her throat. "Listen, Gerry, I wanna apologize for acting so  
  
weird yesterday. Everything was just so strange…and I latched onto Coach when it was really  
  
you'n Julius that helped me. He's just kinda like my security blanket…always has been…"  
  
Gerry smiled reminiscently. "Yeah, he's always been like that, for all of us. It's no problem. I'd be  
  
shaken too if I suddenly ended up in the past with my parents only 5 or so years older than me."  
  
Kate grinned, than leaned down impulsively and hugged Gerry. "So tell me EVERYTHING about  
  
the famous 1971 season!" she said, sitting down with a sparkle in her eyes.  
  
Gerry laughed and eyed her strangely. "I'm sure you've heard the story thousands of times  
  
before."  
  
Kate pushed her hair out of her face. "Yeah, but I wanna know your perspective."   
  
Confusion clouded Gerry's face, and he looked at her even more strangely. "In all your sixteen  
  
years I've never told you the story once? What, do I shut myself up in the house and never talk to  
  
anyone in the future?"  
  
Kate stared at him, shocked, for a second, then shifted uncomfortably in her seat. 'Way to just tell  
  
him that he gets killed in a couple months,' she scolded herself. 'Now get yourself out of this.'  
  
Quickly, Kate managed a nervous smile. "Well, you know, I wanna hear it from the 'Ten Years  
  
Later' perspective." She held her hands up in the air as if framing a picture.  
  
Gerry gave her a final stare, then burst into laughter. Kate glared at him indignantly. "What's so  
  
funny?"   
  
Gerry continued laughing. Finally, he took a deep breath. "You!" Seeing Kate's continued glare,  
  
he elaborated. "You're such a mix of your parents. All of yesterday you were a spitting image of J,  
  
but today and especially just now, you remind me so much of Alan."  
  
Kate softened. She contemplated this for awhile. "You and Mom and Dad really are super close,  
  
aren't you?" she concluded.  
  
Gerry nodded. "Of course! They're my best friends, along with Julius."  
  
Kate smiled and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why are you home, anyway? I know you work."  
  
Gerry shrugged. "I'm on vacation. Just a little one, not long enough to go anywhere."  
  
"Alright." Kate stood and wandered around the room, looking at all the pictures that adorned the  
  
walls. "So, are you going to tell me about that 1971 season or not?" Gerry shook his head,  
  
laughed, and delved into the story.  
  
***  
  
Gerry and Kate spent the morning and afternoon trading stories and small talk. For lunch, Kate  
  
shocked Gerry with her egg salad skills. He was even more surprised to find that she'd learned to  
  
cook from her parents. Gerry knew well that neither Alan nor J had any skill in the kitchen. Kate  
  
explained that they'd taken a cooking class together, which gave Gerry another good laugh.  
  
Perhaps what stunned Gerry the most was that Kate, such a mix of her parents, had minimal  
  
interest in football. She'd gone to all of the games to support Coach until he retired, but after that,  
  
she watched practically no football. Kate had a difficult time explaining to Gerry that it wasn't that  
  
she didn't have an interest in sports. The sports she liked just weren't the traditional kind.  
  
It took a few hours and numerous mini-demonstrations with her skateboard by Kate for Gerry to  
  
fully grasp the concept of extreme sports. Gerry's words upon finally understanding: "Cool."  
  
Around dusk that day, soon before Coach was to come for Kate, an unexpected visitor arrived:  
  
Sunshine. Gerry greeted him with enthusiasm. "Hey Sunshine! What are you doing here?"  
  
Sunshine grinned and ducked his head. "Well, you know, I was just in the area visiting people  
  
when I heard about your little scheme. I had to come and see how it went." Gerry's smile faded  
  
and he sighed heavily. He explained all the events of the previous day and finished just as Kate  
  
made her way out from the bathroom.  
  
"There you are, Kate," Gerry said. "You already know who this is. I filled him in about  
  
everything."  
  
Kate worked her jaw soundlessly as Sunshine stood with eyes full of wonder. "It's amazing," he  
  
whispered. "There resemblance, I mean."  
  
"You—you—" Kate suddenly sputtered.   
  
"What?" Sunshine asked, confused.   
  
Kate started coughing, her face beet red. "Excuse me," she choked, and ran for the bathroom.  
  
Upon reaching it, she immediately turned on the cold water and splashed it over her face. She  
  
coughed violently for a few moments, then was able to breathe again. "That…can't…be  
  
my…uncle," she wheezed. "He's…he's…hot!" Kate coughed again, disgusted by the idea of  
  
thinking that someone, her uncle in particular, was hot. "Then again, it's not like he's related to me  
  
by blood…" she mused, then shuddered. "Just ignore it," she instructed herself.  
  
Gradually, Kate made her way back out to the living room. Sunshine and Gerry were still sitting  
  
there, now joined by Coach. "Ahhh…there she is," Gerry smiled.  
  
"Are you alright?" Sunshine asked, concern in his voice.   
  
"Yeah…I am…" Kate stammered.   
  
Coach stood up, sighing. "Well, we ought to be going. I think you went a little overboard today,"  
  
he said, eyeing Kate. "You're still a bit weak from yesterday."  
  
Kate was about to protest, but decided against it. She was really tired. Kate gave hugs goodbye to  
  
Gerry and Sunshine. With nary a moment's thought, she also leaned down and kissed Gerry's  
  
cheek before leaving.  
  
***  
  
As she drifted off to sleep for the second night in her father's old bed, the seed of an idea in the  
  
back of Kate's head suddenly germinated. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. 


	5. Decision

Chapter 5  
  
1. Decision  
  
Kate had Coach worried. He'd spent a good deal of the night thinking about the present situation.  
  
How long was she planning on staying in 1981? Coach hadn't heard Kate say anything about  
  
going home. Then again, he didn't have any idea of how they were going to send Kate back into  
  
the future.  
  
It wasn't that Coach wanted to get rid of Kate, but that he knew it wouldn't be long until  
  
homesickness set in. What Coach didn't know was that Kate already thought of all these things.  
  
She thought she might know of how to get home. Mostly importantly, though, was the decision.  
  
Coach looked up from his newspaper to see Kate plodding down the stairs. He chuckled; Kate  
  
wore an old plaid shirt, a size or two too large for her, that used to be Alan's. "I was curious, so I  
  
went through all of Dad's old stuff," she offered for an explanation. "I found this and I really liked  
  
it…it reminds me of him." A wistful look settled upon her features. "Now if only I had something  
  
of Mom's."  
  
Coach stood, moved to stand beside Kate, and smiled. "Well, if it helps, your Mom loved that  
  
shirt too. She was constantly stealing and wearing it."   
  
Kate rubbed the worn cloth in between her fingers. "It's so soft. I don't blame her. Did Dad ever  
  
get to wear it?"  
  
Coach hugged her around the shoulders. "When he managed to take it back from her, yes. Hey,  
  
let's get some breakfast. You've got to be hungry."   
  
***  
  
Kate was silent as they ate . Coach knew she was thinking about going home. "You'll fin d a way,  
  
you know. You've got so much of your parents in you; they're both stubborn and determined, just  
  
like you. Though Alan's quieter about it."  
  
Kate grinned gratefully at Coach. "Thank you. I think I know a way."  
  
Coach's eyebrows raised. "Oh really?"  
  
Kate nodded. "Yeah. I just don't know how much you're gonna like it."  
  
Coach, who had been heading to the door, abruptly stopped. "Why not?" he asked, his eyes  
  
narrowing in suspicion.  
  
Kate nudged him out the door. "I think it's the only way. Get the car started, I'll be there in a  
  
second." Kate scampered up to her father's old room and grabbed the shirt she'd been wearing the  
  
day before. "Don't wanna forget this."   
  
Kate ran back down the stairs and was about to leave when she spotted a calendar. She slowed,  
  
chewing on her lip. After a few minutes, with a determined sigh, Kate rummaged through the  
  
phone table until she found a big marker. Taking a piece of paper, she scribbled onto it quickly. I  
  
have an idea about how to get my parents back together…  
  
She then flipped through the calendar, made a fast mark on it, then rushed out the door.  
  
***  
  
Studying the quiet and empty street, Kate inhaled then exhaled. "This is it."  
  
"You're not planning on doing what I think you're planning on doing, are you?" Coach asked  
  
grimly.  
  
A ghost of a smile flickered on Kate's face. "I have to."  
  
"I hate to admit it, but I think she's right." Gerry pushed his wheelchair forward until he was  
  
beside Coach and Kate. "I know it doesn't make any of us comfortable, but it's the only way for  
  
her to get home."  
  
Tears fought their way onto Kate's cheeks It was time. First she went to bid Gerry goodbye. He  
  
gave her a giant hug and dried her tears with a handkerchief. "Hey now, Katie-girl, don't cry.  
  
You'll be seein us again real soon, if all goes right. And it will."  
  
Kate's lip quivered violently. "Thank you." She hugged Gerry tightly and moved on to Coach. Her  
  
grandfather embraced her warmly. "I'll miss you, Kate sweetie, but it'll make me smile, knowin  
  
that I'll see you again before I'm through."   
  
Kate kissed Coach's cheek. "I left a note for you. Look around when you get home." Before  
  
Coach could reply, she broke from the hug and strapped on her gear. She waved goodbye to the  
  
figures watching her, then pushed off the cement. Kate flew down the sidewalk until she was out  
  
of sight. Taking a deep breath to steady her pounding heart, Kate purposefully leaned too far on  
  
her board, which caused her to loose her balance, falter, and fall.  
  
***  
  
A cool cloth bathed Kate's forehead. She felt warmer and safer than she had in days. Any lingering  
  
anxieties melted away when a voice pierced the darkness. "Hey there, honey, you gonna wake up?  
  
C'mon, don't go pulling one of your father's stunts on us." The voice, belonging to her mother,  
  
suddenly yelped.   
  
Kate smiled as she opened her eyes to see J massaging her side and glaring at Alan. "What was  
  
that for?"   
  
Alan didn't answer, for he noticed that Kate was now watching them and trying not to giggle.  
  
Kate's grin widened as her parents pelted her with questions. Kate answered as many as she could,  
  
but suddenly she couldn't pay much attention. Something was nagging at her sense. It was  
  
probably just déjà vu. Then she realized what it was.   
  
Kate's breath caught in her throat. There, next to her parents, was Gerry. He beamed at her. "It's  
  
good to see you awake, Katie-girl. You had us worried for a little while there." The lump in  
  
Kate's throat prevented her from speaking. It had worked! Her plan worked!   
  
A moment later, Coach walked into the room with a bundle of ice. "Hey, look who's up!" He  
  
handed the ice to Kate. "I told you those skateboards are dangerous." He winked slyly at Kate,  
  
then moved to talk to Gerry. Kate turned to gaze around the room. Pictures lined the walls: of her  
  
parents at their wedding with Gerry beaming beside them, the team, Gerry with her siblings, and  
  
many more.   
  
Kate took a deep, satisfied breath. Her parents had resumed their age-old argument about jello,  
  
and now their affectionate bickering filled the room. Gerry and Coach were discussing pre-season  
  
football. All of a sudden, Kate's head began to pound. The room swirled. Memories filling her  
  
head faded away, and new ones, ones with Gerry, solidified.   
  
Gerry spotted the pain twisting Kate's face. "You feelin okay, Katie-girl?"   
  
Just as rapidly as the pain came, it dissipated. "Yeah," Kate smiled warmly at Gerry. She took a  
  
long look at the room and the people that filled it. "Yeah. Everything's fine."  
  
End. 


End file.
